Compare Translations for Isaiah 11:4

Isaiah 11:4 (ASV)but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (BBE)But he will do right in the cause of the poor, and give wise decisions for those in the land who are in need; and the rod of his mouth will come down on the cruel, and with the breath of his lips he will put an end to the evil-doer.

Isaiah 11:4 (CEB)He will judge the needy with righteousness, and decide with equity for those who suffer in the land. He will strike the violent with the rod of his mouth; by the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (CEBA)He will judge the needy with righteousness, and decide with equity for those who suffer in the land. He will strike the violent with the rod of his mouth; by the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (CJB)but he will judge the impoverished justly; he will decide fairly for the humble of the land. He will strike the land with a rod from his mouth and slay the wicked with a breath from his lips.

Isaiah 11:4 (CSB)but He will judge the poor righteously and execute justice for the oppressed of the land. He will strike the land with discipline from His mouth, and He will kill the wicked with a command from His lips.

Isaiah 11:4 (DBY)but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (ESV)but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (GW)He will judge the poor justly. He will make fair decisions for the humble people on earth. He will strike the earth with a rod from his mouth. He will kill the wicked with the breath from his lips.

Isaiah 11:4 (HNV)but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the humble of the eretz; and he shall strike the eretz with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he kill the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (JUB)But with righteousness shall he judge the poor and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the spirit of his lips he shall slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (KJV)But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (KJVA)But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (LEB)But he shall judge [the] poor with righteousness, and he shall decide for [the] needy of [the] earth with rectitude. And he shall strike [the] earth with the rod of his mouth, and he shall kill [the] wicked person with the breath of his lips.

Isaiah 11:4 (MSG)He'll judge the needy by what is right, render decisions on earth's poor with justice. His words will bring everyone to awed attention. A mere breath from his lips will topple the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (NAS)But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (NCV)But he will judge the poor honestly; he will be fair in his decisions for the poor people of the land. At his command evil people will be punished, and by his words the wicked will be put to death.

Isaiah 11:4 (NIRV)He will always do what is right when he judges those who are in need. He'll be completely fair when he makes decisions about poor people. When he commands that people be punished, it will happen. When he orders that evil people be put to death, it will take place.

Isaiah 11:4 (NIV)but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (NKJV)But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (NRS)but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (NRSA)but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (RHE)But he shall judge the poor with justice, and shall reprove with equity the meek of the earth: and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (RSV)but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (RSVA)but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (TMB)But with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth; and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (TMBA)But with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth; and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (TNIV)but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (WBT)But with righteousness will he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he will smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips will he slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (WEB)but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the humble of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he kill the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4 (WYC)but he shall deem in rightfulness poor men, and he shall reprove in equity, for the mild men of [the] earth. And he shall smite the land with the rod of his mouth, and with the spirit of his lips he shall slay the wicked man. (but he shall judge the poor with justice, and he shall rebuke the meek, or the humble, of the earth with equity, or with fairness. And he shall strike the land with the rod of his mouth, and he shall kill the wicked with the spirit of his lips.)

Isaiah 11:4 (YLT)And he hath judged in righteousness the poor, And decided in uprightness for the humble of earth, And hath smitten earth with the rod of his mouth, And with the breath of his lips he putteth the wicked to death.

Commentaries For Isaiah 11

The peaceful character of Christ's kingdom and subjects. (1-9) The conversion of the Gentiles and Jews. (10-16)

Verses 1-9 The Messiah is called a Rod, and a Branch. The words signify a small, tender product; a shoot, such as is easily broken off. He comes forth out of the stem of Jesse; when the royal family was cut down and almost levelled with the ground, it would sprout again. The house of David was brought very low at the time of Christ's birth. The Messiah thus gave early notice that his kingdom was not of this world. But the Holy Spirit, in all his gifts and graces, shall rest and abide upon him; he shall have the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him, ( Colossians 1:19 , Colossians 2:9 ) . Many consider that seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are here mentioned. And the doctrine of the influences of the Holy Spirit is here clearly taught. The Messiah would be just and righteous in all his government. His threatening shall be executed by the working of his Spirit according to his word. There shall be great peace and quiet under his government. The gospel changes the nature, and makes those who trampled on the meek of the earth, meek like them, and kind to them. But it shall be more fully shown in the latter days. Also Christ, the great Shepherd, shall take care of his flock, that the nature of troubles, and of death itself, shall be so changed, that they shall not do any real hurt. God's people shall be delivered, not only from evil, but from the fear of it. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? The better we know the God of love, the more shall we be changed into the same likeness, and the better disposed to all who have any likeness to him. This knowledge shall extend as the sea, so far shall it spread. And this blessed power there have been witnesses in every age of Christianity, though its most glorious time, here foretold, is not yet arrived. Meanwhile let us aim that our example and endeavours may help to promote the honour of Christ and his kingdom of peace.

Verses 10-16 When the gospel should be publicly preached, the Gentiles would seek Christ Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, and find rest of soul. When God's time is come for the deliverance of his people, mountains of opposition shall become plains before him. God can soon turn gloomy days into glorious ones. And while we expect the Lord to gather his ancient people, and bring them home to his church, also to bring in the fulness of the Gentiles, when all will be united in holy love, let us tread the highway of holiness he has made for his redeemed. Let us wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life, looking to him to prepare our way through death, that river which separates this world from the eternal world.

From the local and temporary national deliverance the prophet passes by the law of suggestion in an easy transition to the end of all prophecy--the everlasting deliverance under Messiah's reign, not merely His first coming, but chiefly His second coming. The language and illustrations are still drawn from the temporary national subject, with which he began, but the glories described pertain to Messiah's reign. Hezekiah cannot, as some think, be the subject; for he was already come, whereas the "stem of Jesse" was yet future ("shall come") (compare Micah 4:11 , &c. Micah 5:1Micah 5:2 , Jeremiah 23:5Jeremiah 23:6 , Jeremiah 33:15Jeremiah 33:16 , Romans 15:12 ).

4. judge--see that impartial justice is done them. "Judge" may mean here "rule," as in Psalms 67:4 . reprove--or, "argue"; "decide." But LOWTH, "work conviction in." earth--Compare with Matthew 5:5 , and Revelation 11:15 . earth--its ungodly inhabitants, answering to "the wicked" in the parallel, and in antithesis to the "poor" and "meek," namely, in spirit, the humble pious ( Matthew 5:3 ). It is at the same time implied that "the earth" will be extraordinarily wicked when He shall come to judge and reign. His reign shall therefore be ushered in with judgments on the apostates ( Psalms 2:9-12Luke 18:8Revelation 2:27 ). rod of . . . mouth--condemning sentences which proceed from His mouth against the wicked ( Revelation 1:16 , 2:16 , Revelation 19:15Revelation 19:21 ). breath of . . . lips--his judicial decisions ( Isaiah 30:28 , Job 15:30 , Revelation 19:20 , 20:9-12 ). He as the Word of God ( Revelation 19:13-15 ) comes to strike that blow which shall decide His claim to the kingdom, previously usurped by Satan, and "the beast" to whom Satan delegates his power. It will be a day of judgment to the Gentile dispensation, as the first coming was to the Jews. Compare a type of the "rod" ( Numbers 17:2-10 ).

6. wolf . . . lamb--Each animal is coupled with that one which is its natural prey. A fit state of things under the "Prince of Peace" ( Isaiah 65:25 , Ezekiel 34:25 , Hosea 2:18 ). These may be figures for men of corresponding animal-like characters ( Ezekiel 22:27 , 38:13 , Jeremiah 5:6 , 13:23 , Matthew 7:15 , Luke 10:3 ). Still a literal change in the relations of animals to man and each other, restoring the state in Eden, is a more likely interpretation. Compare Genesis 2:19Genesis 2:20 , with Psalms 8:6-8 , which describes the restoration to man, in the person of "the Son of man," of the lost dominion over the animal kingdom of which he had been designed to be the merciful vicegerent under God, for the good of his animal subjects ( Romans 8:19-22 ).

7. feed--namely, "together"; taken from the second clause. straw--no longer flesh and blood.

8. play--literally, "delight" himself in sport. cockatrice--a fabulous serpent supposed to be hatched from the egg of a cock. The Hebrew means a kind of adder, more venomous than the asp; BOCHART supposes the basilisk to be meant, which was thought to poison even with its breath.

9. my holy mountain--Zion, that is, Jerusalem. The seat of government and of Messiah's throne is put for the whole earth ( Jeremiah 3:17 ). sea--As the waters find their way into every cavern of its depths, so Christianity shall pervade every recess of the earth ( Habakkuk 2:14 ). As Isaiah 11:1-5 describe the personal qualities of Messiah, and Isaiah 11:6-9 the regenerating effects of His com ing on creation, so Isaiah 11:10-16 the results of it in the restoration of His people, the Jews, and the conversion through them of the Gentiles.

10. root--rather, "shoot from the root" (compare Note,Isaiah 53:2 , Revelation 5:5 , 22:16 ). stand--permanently and prominently, as a banner lifted up to be the rallying point of an army or people ( Isaiah 5:26 , John 12:32 ). the people--peoples, answering to "the Gentiles" in the parallel member. to it . . . seek--diligently ( Job 8:5 ). They shall give in their allegiance to the Divine King ( Isaiah 2:2 , 60:5 , Zechariah 2:11 ). HORSLEY translates, "Of Him shall the Gentiles inquire"; namely, in a religious sense, resort as to an oracle for consultation in difficulties" ( Zechariah 14:16 ). Compare Romans 15:12 , which quotes this passage, "In Him shall the Gentiles trust." rest--resting-place ( Isaiah 60:13 , Psalms 132:8Psalms 132:14 , Ezekiel 43:7 ). The sanctuary in the temple of Jerusalem was "the resting-place of the ark and of Jehovah." So the glorious Church which is to be is described under the image of an oracle to which all nations shall resort, and which shall be filled with the visible glory of God.

11. set . . . hand--take in hand the work. Therefore the coming restoration of the Jews is to be distinct from that after the Babylonish captivity, and yet to resemble it. The first restoration was literal, therefore so shall the second be; the latter, however, it is implied here, shall be much more universal than the former ( Isaiah 43:5-7 , Isaiah 49:12Isaiah 49:17Isaiah 49:18 , Ezekiel 37:21 , Hosea 3:5 , Amos 9:14Amos 9:15 , Micah 4:6Micah 4:7Zephaniah 3:19Zephaniah 3:20 , Zechariah 10:10 , Jeremiah 23:8 ). As to the "remnant" destined by God to survive the judgments on the nation, compare Jeremiah 46:28 . Pathros--one of the three divisions of Egypt, Upper Egypt. Cush--either Ethiopia, south of Egypt, now Abyssinia, or the southern parts of Arabia, along the Red Sea. Elam--Persia, especially the southern part of it now called Susiana. Shinar--Babylonian Mesopotamia, the plain between the Euphrates and the Tigris: in it Babel was begun ( Genesis 10:10 ). In the Assyrian inscriptions RAWLINSON distinguishes three periods: (1) The Chaldean; from 2300 B.C. to 1500, in which falls Chedorlaomer ( Genesis 14:1-17 ), called in the cuneiform characters Kudur of Hur, or Ur of the Chaldees, and described as the conqueror of Syria. The seat of the first Chaldean empire was in the south, towards the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates. (2) The Assyrian, down to 625 B.C. (3) The Babylonian, from 625 to 538 B.C., when Babylon was taken by the Persian Cyrus. islands of . . . sea--the far western regions beyond the sea.

12. In the first restoration Judah alone was restored, with perhaps some few of Israel (the ten tribes): in the future restoration both are expressly specified ( Ezekiel 37:16-19Jeremiah 3:18 ). To Israel are ascribed the "outcasts" (masculine); to Judah the "dispersed" (feminine), as the former have been longer and more utterly castaways (though not finally) than the latter ( John 7:52 ). The masculine and feminine conjoined express the universality of the restoration. from the four corners of the earth--Hebrew, "wings of the earth."

14. With united forces they shall subdue their foes ( Amos 9:12 ). fly--as a bird of prey ( Habakkuk 1:8 ). upon the shoulders--This expresses an attack made unexpectedly on one from behind. The image is the more apt, as the Hebrew for "shoulders" in Numbers 34:11 is used also of a maritime coast ("side of the sea": Hebrew, "shoulder of the sea," Margin). They shall make a sudden victorious descent upon their borders southwest of Judea. them of the east--Hebrew, "children of the East," the Arabs, who, always hostile, are not to be reduced under regular government, but are only to be despoiled ( Jeremiah 49:28Jeremiah 49:29 ). lay . . . hand upon--take possession of ( Daniel 11:42 ). Edom--south of Judah, from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea; "Moab"--east of Jordan and the Dead Sea. Ammon--east of Judea, north of Moab, between the Arnon and Jabbok.

15. There shall be a second exodus, destined to eclipse even the former one from Egypt in its wonders. So the prophecies elsewhere ( Psalms 68:22 , Exodus 14:22 , Zechariah 10:11 ). The same deliverance furnishes the imagery by which the return from Babylon is described ( Isaiah 48:20Isaiah 48:21 ). destroy--literally, "devote," or "doom," that is, dry up; for what God dooms, perishes ( Psalms 106:9Nahum 1:4 ). tongue--the Bubastic branch of the Nile [VITRINGA]; but as the Nile was not the obstruction to the exodus, it is rather the west tongue or Heroöpolite fork of the Red Sea.with . . . mighty wind--such as the "strong east wind" ( Exodus 14:21 ), by which God made a way for Israel through the Red Sea. The Hebrew for "mighty" means terrible. MAURER translates, "With the terror of His anger"; that is, His terrible anger.in the seven streams--rather, "shall smite it (divide it by smiting) into seven (many) streams, so as to be easily crossed" [LOWTH]. So Cyrus divided the river Gyndes, which retarded his march against Babylon, into three hundred sixty streams, so that even a woman could cross it [HERODOTUS, 1.189]. "The river" is the Euphrates, the obstruction to Israel's return "from Assyria" ( Isaiah 11:16 ), a type of all future impediments to the restoration of the Jews. dry shod--Hebrew, "in shoes." Even in sandals they should be able to pass over the once mighty river without being wet ( Revelation 16:12 ).